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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · bank · ruler · plane · land · current · field · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. land — ground
  6. field — a subject
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. current — electric
  9. bank — of a river
  10. land — a country
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. field — farmland
  13. kid — child
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — for sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — to come down
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com